Questionable Quality: Using Photovoice to Document Women's Experiences of Water Insecurity in Flint, USA

Lucero Radonic, Cara Jacob, Rowenn Kalman, E. Yvonne Lewis

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Household water insecurity is a global problem; one not escaped by residents of high-income nations. In this article, we review a community-based participatory research (CBPR) project conducted in Flint, MI, to document grassroots narratives about the impacts of water insecurity on the lives of women. In 2014, Flint residents found themselves connected to modern water infrastructure that delivered potable water contaminated by lead and pathogens. Through a photovoice method, participating women documented how experiences of water insecurity continues to impact their lives many years after state authorities declared the water crisis to be over. This study adds to a growing literature that highlights how the “adequateness” of water quality is not a stable or self-evident condition for there are different frameworks for water cleanliness, safety, and risk. With attention to methodology, this case study emphasizes the importance of legitimizing the embodied experience of participants through research design and implementation. This CBPR project contributes to the existing toolbox of methods for studying household water insecurity by complementing the growing literature on security metrics with a narrative-focused approach to documenting women's lived experiences of water insecurity. Finally, the article invites readers to consider how and to what degree to mobilize participatory approaches to understand conditions and lived experiences of resource insecurity without further stigmatizing or exploiting impacted communities.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number1706476
JournalCase Studies in the Environment
Volume6
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 10 2022
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • CBPR
  • community-based participatory research
  • Flint
  • photovoice
  • water insecurity
  • water quality
  • women

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Education
  • Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
  • General Environmental Science

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